FG votes N55bn for new envoys ahead of appointments
The Federal Government has earmarked N2.1bn in the proposed 2025 budget for the posting and return entitlements of ambassadors and officers, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
A sum of N53bn has also been proposed for the renovation of 103 foreign missions, covering chanceries, staff quarters, ambassadors’ residences, office furniture, and official vehicles.
The proposed allocations include N554m for the foreign mission in Abidjan, N812m for Banjul, N555m for Brazzaville, N558m for Port of Spain, N576m for Caracas, N624m for Kingston, N567m for Libreville, N409m for Buenos Aires, and N899m for Niamey, among others.
President Bola Tinubu recalled 83 ambassadors in September 2023 to reassess Nigeria’s foreign policy.
However, the process of appointing new envoys has faced delays due to financial constraints.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed the funding shortfalls, stating that appointing ambassadors without adequate resources for their travel and effective mission operations would be counterproductive.
He said, “We met a situation where foreign affairs was not being funded like it should be. Some loopholes are exploited by the likes of Binance. It is a money problem. There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated country and to run the missions effectively, one needs funding.
“Mr President is working on it, and it will be done in due course,” Tuggar said during a ministerial sectoral briefing in Abuja in May.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, clarified that the nomination of ambassadors involves both career and political appointees, requiring thorough vetting and National Assembly approval.
“Don’t forget that the ambassadorial list has two components. There are career ambassadors and political ambassadors. The foreign affairs list and the consolidated list will still go through certain processes before it is released,” he noted.
However, retired diplomats have raised concerns over the prolonged absence of substantive heads for Nigeria’s missions.
A former Consul to Cameroon, Rasheed Akinkuolie, stressed the importance of functional embassies for maintaining diplomatic relations.
He said, “The delay in appointing ambassadors may be a result of some internal issues, which have to be sorted out before appointing ambassadors. The primary concern of the international community is to have a functioning embassy. It is a serious matter if an embassy is closed down, which would be a significant blow to diplomacy and foreign relations.
“The process of appointing ambassadors could be long. Even after an ambassador has been appointed, the host country has to accept the nominee. The process includes security checks, and Senate clearance, among others. These are long and tedious processes that cannot be rushed.”
Similarly, a retired Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, warned that the prolonged absence of envoys could damage Nigeria’s international reputation, especially given the funding challenges faced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“That diplomatic missions are without substantive heads for a short period is widely acceptable. But their absence over a year leaves so much to be desired, especially against the backdrop of the ministry’s funding challenges,” he said.
